It’s interesting that People’s Court participants don’t reveal the true story about what happens behind People’s Court, especially after the tragic death of Michelle Parker on November 17, 2011, the day her People’s Court case was aired. I suspect the silence stems from the tactics People’s Court inflicts on participants, and the smear campaign the participants fall prey to… not during the filming of the their case, but rather during the editing.

I’m holding all the People’s Court paperwork that a participant must sign before entering the set. And from what I can see, the first gavel pummel to the participant is the paperwork timeline. If the initial Small Claims court date is set for August 12 and is for the sum of $2000.00, the Defendant will receive a pleasant letter from People’s Court approximately three weeks prior to their court date asking if they would like to have People’s Court take care of the $2000.00, all that’s required is that they appear on the show. If the Defendant feels they are in the right, and that the Plaintiff will lose the case and look bad on TV, the Defendant might respond and concede to have an agreement mailed to them. The initial agreement sent and received by the participants, is assumed to be the only agreement they will have to sign because there is no letter explaining otherwise. This agreement, provided by Ralph Edwards Productions Stu Billett Productions, is standard and appears legitimate and doesn’t give the participants any red flags that they are about to become part of a defamatory ruse. So it’s conceivable under these conditions that intelligent and talented business professionals might actually agree to this, especially if they are in the entertainment/video production business, which perhaps is why People’s Court approached them in the first place. The agreements are signed in late July, the local Small Claims court case is continued, the People’s Court case is set for mid September.

In mid-September, the participants and witnesses show up in midtown Manhattan and are led to the People’s Court waiting room. A typical condescending production diva, prances around scowling, creating a harassing environment… a very threatening environment in fact. Just before the participants are to be called to the set, she disappears and returns with a few supplemental forms that need signatures. One that’s entitled “‘The People’s Court’ Rules” is five pages. She informs everyone there are only a few minutes to read and agree, or not. Interestingly, under pressure and with a tight deadline, intelligent people know how to read big bold titles such as paragraph 4 “Rules of Arbitration” and paragraph 10 “Federal Communications Act” and quickly understand them. But when you’re reading briskly under pressure, one might miss the significance of paragraph 8 “Ownership.” Perhaps it’s the mislabeling of this paragraph that nets that result. Tucked in the middle of paragraph 8, as if undercover, is a sentence about editing: “…it can be edited, rearranged or changed, or added to other material without further payment, other compensation or liability therefor to any participant or witness.” Interestingly, or should I state, significantly interestingly, it was in paragraph 8 of the “‘People’s Court’ Agreement to Arbitrate” signed back in July, a different agreement entirely, that mentions that derogatory and defamatory statements that might be injurious may be made and the participants must release and forever discharge everybody and anybody responsible, etc, etc… but no editing is mentioned here. In fact, it even states “…this Agreement shall be a full and final satisfaction and general release of each and every matter…” Perhaps that’s why People’s Court puts the editing under the People’s Court Rules Agreement rather than the People’s Court Agreement to Arbitrate agreement. Nobody would sign the Arbitration Agreement if editing was placed there, and based on the statement that this is a full and final satisfaction and general release of each and every matter, one would never expect that something as potentially slanderous as editing would be hidden in some other unassuming paragraph.

Once the additional papers are signed, the production diva leads everyone to the official set entrance of “People’s Court.” But just before she opens the door, she hands over another paper to be signed… feat accomplished, the gates open and the saga begins.

When People’s Court edits the footage, they literally cut and paste words to create their own sentences. They remake the show to depict whatever it is they want to characterize. Their intention is to demean and humiliate someone… that someone is a human being, or a business. Real people with real lives. The paperwork given to me for this story was from a business that was trashed by People’s Court a number of years ago. I was shocked back then and upset over the business ramifications. But what has truly angered me is Michelle Parker’s death. Her death was the result of intentional deception on the part of People’s Court for no other purpose than to degrade and slander and disgrace whoever they think will get them the highest ratings and add the most dollars to their stockpile.

The judges aren’t official judges, but viewers don’t know that. So what the world sees each day is a judge, who by society’s standards is a leader, a role model, humiliate and demean a human being as if it’s a game. In schools they call it bullying which has severe consequences. But these judges win awards…